DIY: Laptop Enclosures

Provide additional protection to your laptop by making your own laptop enclosure.

A laptop enclosure allows you to provide better protection and privacy when using your laptop. Technicians and other laptop users prefer to use this during work. Because of the laptop's smaller size, lighter weight and self-contained nature, making your own laptop enclosure is generally easier compared to making one for a desktop. You can make one using practical materials that are easily accessible at home and in stores.

Things You'll Need

• Pen
• Paper
• Corrugated plastic sheet
• Cutter
• Packaging tape
• Black paint
• Paintbrush
• Velcro (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure the space your laptop uses when it is open, then base the size of your enclosure on your measurements. You must have enough allowance to give the laptop decent breathing space and ventilation. This way, you avoid possible overheating problems from a cramped enclosure. It is also ideal to include the size of a laptop cooling stand and a space for the mouse when finalizing your measurements.

2. Draw a layout of your intended laptop enclosure based on the measurements you made. This should look like a simple box with the bottom and front parts left open. The enclosure should house your laptop and the peripherals you often use with it. The minimum depth of the enclosure should allow the box to rest about 2 inches beyond the top of the fully opened laptop screen. Its bottom and sides should also extend at least 2 inches beyond the laptop's length and width.

3. Buy a corrugated plastic sheet that can accommodate the size of your intended enclosure. Provide some allowance so you have spare pieces in case of emergency.

4. Mark the corrugated plastic sheet to create the two panels on the sides and one panel each for the top and back of your enclosure. Base your markings on the sizes shown on the layout you drew.

5. Mark a small hole on one of the panels, depending on where the laptop's AC adapter port is attached for charging.

6. Cut your marked corrugated plastic sheet to make your two side panels, back panel and top panel. Cut the hole on the marking where you will attach the laptop's AC adapter as well.

7. Connect the top panel to the back panel using packaging tape. Your layout will show that the sides for both panels should have identical sizes.

8. Connect the top panel to the left panel using packaging tape. This allows you to see the work-in-progress enclosure with the top panel, back panel and left panel partly set up already. Your left panel's top side should be the one attached to the top panel's left side.

9. Connect the top panel to the right panel using packaging tape. This allows you to see the work-in-progress enclosure with all panels partly connected to each other already. Your right panel's top side should be the one attached to the top panel's right side.

10. Connect the left side of the back panel with the back side of your left panel using packaging tape.

11. Connect the right side of the back panel with the back side of your right panel using packaging tape.

12. Double-check the connections of all panels to finalize your enclosure. Secure both the interior and exterior of the attached sides of the panels with packaging tape.

13. Paint the interior of the enclosure black. You may also paint the exterior part black, if you want to. Allow the enclosure to dry, preferably overnight. Place it somewhere that can hasten the release of the paint odor before use.

Tips & Warnings

• You can make this DIY laptop enclosure foldable if you prefer to save space when it is not in use. To do this, do not use packaging tape on the attachment between the back panel and the left and right panels. Instead of connecting them with a packaging tape, fasten hook-and-loop tape to the lower rear corners of the back panel and the left and right panels near it. You can simply unhook the tape to fold the enclosure for storage when it's not in use.

• Don't use cardboard or foam poster board as an alternative to corrugated plastic sheet because they sag after getting wet. Aside from being user-friendly for long-term use, corrugated plastic sheet is also very affordable and accessible for this type of DIY project.

References

• Dewbuster; Laptop Dew and Light Shield Enclosure; Ron Keating
• Planet Green; 7 Clever Ways to Make a Recycled Laptop Case; Jaymi Heimbuch; January 2009
• CNET; Leather Laptops Coming Soon; Michael Kanellos; March 2005
• Nionconk.com; Protecting Customary Computer Systems In Industrial Functions; November 2010
• Dustshield: Laptop Enclosure